The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-18
TWO AssAssINS.
Caspar Staumbach Tells the Story Of
the Railway Murder.


the Railway Murder.
A st. Louis dispatch to the New York
Herald says: There is in jail at Salem, H.,
a man who says his name is Caspar Stratum
BACH and that he committed the murder at
Railway, n. j., last March, that has be-
come famous as the Railway murder
mystery. He makes a confession, Ill which
he says that he was a steamship steward by
occupation, and that on March IL ne was on
a spree with a companion, Swede named
John.
The two went to Railway and continued
drinking together for some time and were
greatly under the influence Of liquor when
they saw young girl across the railway
commons carrying a small basket. The
Swede, who seemed to know the girl started
toward the girl and she ran. He called TO
her several times, addressing her as CLARA"
and telling her to stop, that he wanted to
talkto her. Seeing she would not heed his
calls, he ran after her. Just as he overlook
her he picked up piece of board and struck
her on the side of the head. She fell and he
struck her again
Just then Straumbach, according to his
own story, came up, and, actuated by
ferocity born of the liquor he had been
drinking, pulled out his knife and saying he
would do his part. stopped over the pros
trate body of the girl and cut her throat
He insists that he thought, and still thinks,
the girl was dead before he touched her.
After the killing, which, according to the
confession was on March IS, 1887, about
o'clock p. m, but which, according to the
proclamation of the Governor of New Jersey,
occurred March 25, the Gwo men went di
rectly to New York city, where they con-
tinued their spree for several days. They
then separated, and only met once after
ward.
CONSCIENCE STRICKEN.
Straumbach then intended to ship for
another voyage, but seems to have been con
science stricken, and imagined that the Off
GERS were on his track. He vent to friend,
Mrs. Augusta Gardner, living at No. %
Bayard street, New York, and told her
what he had done, as he felt as though he
could not keep his secret, and was confident
she would not betray him. The idea struck
him that he would go West and try to make
fresh start in life among strange people
and in strange country, where he would
be able to forget his great crime. Accord
ingly he started forward, arriving at the
little town of Iuka, in Marion county, ILL.,,
where he sought work as a farm laborer.
He got job and soon betrayed himself
by his acts. Seeing something was wrong
with him, his employer questioned him very
closely as to his antecedents and finally put
the question as to what made him so
nervous. To this Straumbach replied that
he had something very bad in New Jersey
and his conscience tortured him.
The town constable, James w. Conley,
was informed of the fellows strange talk
and conduct and he undertook to find out
what it all meant. This was a week ago.
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
The man made confession of which the
substance is given above. On the strength
Of 10 FOL lar, info
custody and jailed at Salem, the county
seat The Illinois officials then opened up
communication with the authorities at Rah-
way, and kept the real cause of the arrest
secret so far as the general public was con-
cerned pending inquiry Finally, being
convinced that they had the right man, they
let the facts leak out.
The officers at Salem having received
picture of the murdered girl, taken after she
was dead, They showed it to the prisoner
to-day, and he recognized it, He could not
give very definite information of his COM
panion on the night of the murder, but says,
in his trunk, at No POO Chatham street,
near the Bowery, New York, is a picture of
the man.
FROM URICH, GERMANY.
Straumbach halls from Brooklyn, and is
formerly of Urich, Germany He has only
been in the United States about a year, and
is about 25 years old, feet 2 inches in
height, weighs 125 pounds, has blue eyes,
heavy auburn hair and several weeks
growth of beard. At Iuka he sought a Ger
man and soon found one named John Bow
man, and told him his mind was troubled
and he wanted to tell him something His
is very straight story in the German Ian
guage, and afterwards he made written
confession in German and swore to it, A
photograph of the murdered girl was shown
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